High School Paddles Boy – And His Dad’s Sore
High School Paddles Boy – And His Dad’s Sore
State
Attorney Investigates Case
An angry father took his 95-pound son to the Dade
State Attorney’s Office to protest a high school paddling that left a bright
red bruise on the boy’s right buttock.
The boy, 16, got three whacks Thursday morning [9 May
1963] at North Miami High School, where he’s a junior.
Assistant Principal Paul Duncan said Saturday the
spanking he gave was in accordance with Florida law and Dade School Regulations.
The father, Thomas Merlo of 1140 NW 110th St., took
his son Gerald to North Shore Hospital Thursday night. A friend of the family
telephoned Assistant State Attorney Aram Goshgarian.
The boy testified before Goshgarian Friday Duncan is
scheduled to appear Monday.
Dr Francisco Gomez who treated the youth said X-rays
revealed no fractures. He prescribed ice packs and advised the father to check
Gerald’s temperature periodically.
A sudden rise, the doctor said, could indicate blood
clotting at the bruise.
By Saturday the bruise had turned grayish and had
begun to fade away.
Paddling by school officials is legal in Florida if it
is not “excessive.”
Robert Wilson, director of high schools, said the
paddling of the Merlo boy was not excessive, just because a bruise developed.
“Kids shouldn’t expect to get hit with a cream puff,”
he said. “Let's stop coddling these kids and be realistic. If you get hit hard
on the behind don’t you expect it to leave a mark?”
The father however said a proper spanking shouldn't
leave large bruises. “I don’t object to paddling with a yardstick or something
where it stings and then goes away but ...”
Duncan said he gave the boy a choice between the
paddling and a three-day suspension that would involve “zeroes” for all class
work during the suspension. Gerald said he couldn’t afford the failures so he
agreed to be paddled.
His father told of the option left the choice to his
son.
The paddling started and the boy begged for it to stop
“After three swats,” Duncan said, “I could see that
that would be enough from the standpoint of counselling. If this indicates
brutality I’m shocked.”
The punishment was for tardiness and previous behavior
in a shop class where there are dangerous machines. Duncan said. The boy
contended his tardiness was a matter of 15 seconds after lunch Wednesday.
The paddling was in Duncan’s office with the door
closed and another teacher present as required. Duncan said many boys choose
paddling rather than suspension to avoid the string of failures for class
sessions they miss.
As published in The Miami Herald (Florida,
United States), 12 May 1963.
Picture credit: Spanking Central.
Traditionalschooldiscipline@gmail.com
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